On the trail of the Nash pickup

The conventional wisdom is that Nash did indeed build pickups after World War II, but only a handful, and only for company use. Yet after coming across a dozen or so photos of said pickups, we have to question the conventional wisdom and wonder if Nash had plans to offer pickups for sale to the general public.

First, a little background: Pre-war, Nash had built a strong reputation as a truck manufacturer. The four-wheel-drive Quad was certainly the most famous, but Nash also built a number of other ton-up trucks from 1918 to 1931; in fact, its total truck production of 11,490 in 1918 made Nash the world’s largest truck manufacturer at the time. Nash then resumed heavy truck production from 1947 to 1955, building a few thousand wreckers on 3-ton chassis using passenger car front sheetmetal; ostensibly these were for export only, but plenty are still around here in the States today.

These photos found on the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections photo archive, which date to 1946 and 1949, show something else entirely. Three (four, really) variations of a Nash light-duty pickup, shot in various locales around Wisconsin with in-company photo identifiers. Such treatment usually isn’t accorded workhorse factory equipment; instead, it’s given to prototypes, styling exercises, and other mules.

So let’s start with the pickup in the above photos. As with the wreckers, this pickup used passenger car front sheetmetal – the short front fenders indicate from a 600 – with extensive trim changes. Given the 600 front sheetmetal, we’d guess it sits on the 600’s 112-inch wheelbase. The cab back appears well thought out, with a simple but seamless blend of body lines, and the basic bed has been tarted up with what appears to be Nash passenger car rear fenders. No name stamped on the tailgate, but no rear bumper either. Note that Nash apparently explored two slightly different variations on this pickup: one with the sidemount spare and a simple hood ornament, the other with no sidemount and the flying lady hood ornament. We can suppose the former variation was intended to be a bit more utilitarian, while the latter was intended to be a little more sporty.

Taking the Spartan approach to the extreme is this next variation, which could or could not be the same pickup with altered trim. Here we see the same basic body with Nash 600 front sheetmetal and Nash passenger car rear fenders, but most of the trim and even the hubcaps appear to have been painted rather than chromed. The simple hood ornament is back, as is the sidemount (sans hubcap), and the crest on the hood has been replaced with what appears to be the N-A-S-H block letters from the 1942 passenger car. Note, too, that the front bumper and bumper guards differ in these two shots.

Finally, as the license plate in these photos suggests, this pickup variation came along three years later. With unmodified 1946-1948 Ambassador front sheetmetal and the lettering on the door and cowl – along with a rear bumper and license plates – we can presume this one, on a 121-inch wheelbase, was actually used by the Nash factory as a shop hauler; but again, why would Nash bother to take pictures of what would amount to, essentially, a piece of factory equipment? Also, note the cab back section, possibly adapted from an Advanced Design Chevrolet, the passenger car rear fenders, and the sidemount neatly tucked in between. It’s conceivable these touches – unnecessary on a purely utilitarian vehicle – were simply the result of proud Nash craftsmen. However, it’s equally conceivable that the pickup was floated as a prototype, rejected, and then thriftily pressed into service as a shop truck. At this point, we haven’t seen any factory documentation to support one theory or the other.

Of course, it doesn’t take much speculation to figure out why Nash didn’t offer a light-duty pickup after World War II. It was a seller’s market during the post-war years, which meant that all American manufacturers throttled back on lineup expansion to meet demand. In addition, Nash’s unibody design likely made it difficult to mass-produce a pickup, and the company’s factory in Kenosha likely didn’t facilitate such a departure from typical passenger car production.

Otherwise, these are handsome pickups that appear production ready and that could have succeeded in the marketplace, given the chance.

Daniel Strohlsays:

December 5, 2012 8:38 am

Hughsays:

May 10, 2015 3:27 am

Many of the larger trucks like were exported were used at the factory to haul parts between their plant buildings. There was a large Nash dealership in Ludington MI that had a wrecker [East across Lake Michigan from the factory]

David Conwillsays:

December 5, 2012 9:17 am

Milfordsays:

May 1, 2017 5:21 pm

Wise Guysays:

December 5, 2012 9:56 am

Looks like a Studebaker of later years. Would be a rare find! Speaking of Studebaker, several years ago, I was at a car show in Florida and a man had what he labeled as a 1992 Studebaker truck. He fooled few people but it caused a lot of discussion. What is was was a Toyota 1000 pickup that had similar lines. He had added Studebaker “S” and name to the hood and Studebaker lettering to the tailgate.
Many thanks to Hemmings and Classic Car magazine for featuring these types of articles.

David Conwillsays:

December 5, 2012 10:05 am

Appropriate choice: If you recall the “Back to the Future” films, there is a radio ad in 1985 for “Statler Brothers Toyota”; and when Marty McFly goes to 1955 there are references to “Statler Brothers Studebaker”.

Jack Muellersays:

December 5, 2012 10:50 am

My uncle helped in the buiilding of “sample” AMC pick-ups into the 1960’s. His best result was the 1965 that Schwartz Motors in Milwaukee used; later the truck was owned by “PIcklesville” which many considered Milwaukee’s most honest used car dealer (mostly junk, a few good cars was a slogan), located on Lisbon Avenue between North Avenue and Center Street.

Hughsays:

December 5, 2012 11:05 am

Most of the post war Nash trucks were of the 2 to 3 ton size. Some were built as semi tractors for the Kenosha plants, others were wreckers for dealers. The pickups were most likely built by craftsmen in what was once the Seaman Body division or maybe in Detroit at the Nash styling department. One of the first survivers was found in France some years ago. Vehicles like this were often exported to get around product liability problems. I spoke with John Conde years ago about AMC comercial vehicles. Nash never got to the point of developement as Hudson had with pickups. Hudson like Lincoln Continentals were started on the sedan assembly line. At an early stage they were removed and transfered to a specialty assembly operation. At Hudson they had a commercial division that began with the Essex based Dover trucks. The formation of AMC put an end to the low volume vehicals.

Mic Ksays:

March 17, 2015 10:26 am

Dad had a ’48 Statesman 600 fastback 4 door – 1st car I learned to drive – in grandfathers field. I’ve owned a ’47 Hudson Big Boy since 1966, paid $5.00, drove it home. It sits in my garage, original, unmolested and not running. Just purchased collector plates for it – where do I go from here?

thomas harringtonsays:

December 5, 2012 11:12 am

I own the Nash Pickup which started the process, now in the Wisconsin Auto Museum, Hartford, Wisconsin. The serial number, K77646 is a Nash 600 number, a few numbers before the first Nash 600 car for the year 1946. The cab ID plate says “SAMPLE”. I have the original plate from perfection Steel Body company, Galion Ohio, which did the box; model number “P1”, serial number 80072. A replica of the plate is on the truck. A couple of years later a few pickups were made at the same time the larger trucks were made for dealers and export. Don Loper of NCCA found the truck.

thomas harringtonsays:

December 5, 2012 11:23 am

I should add that I probably erred in restoring the truck, by making it fancier than it no doubt was originally. As no early engine was with the car a 1941 Ambassador Twin ignition 6 with overdrive was added. A wood floor to the box was added and a storage box in wood (removable). the word NASH was added to the rear gate using the same form as the original Nash lettering from the truck, which I keep separate from the truck.

Scotty Gsays:

December 5, 2012 11:15 am

Oh my word; it’s been a few weeks since I’ve wanted a vehicle as much as I want this one! Not to mention, to somehow get a better time machine than Uncle Rico got (on Napoleon Dynamite) and go back to the days when this truck was new. What an era; what a beautiful truck!

marmersays:

December 5, 2012 11:16 am

Thank you for this article, Dan. Rare pickups such as these Nashes are a favorite topic of mine. I had seen some of those pictures but not all. Yes, the Nash auto brought some uniqueness of auto styling and features to the table for its loyal followers but the pickups wouldn’t have been able to compete on a purely economic basis with the Fords and Chevies (not to mention Cornbinders and Studebakers) of the period.

The proportions of the later Nash do look to be influenced by Hudson pickups, maybe anticipating the later merger?

I’ve seen a couple of pictures of a step-down Hudson pickup prototype or conversion, and rarer still, a Federal Style-liner pickup (probably a pre-war 15M bed on a Style-liner chassis)

geomechssays:

December 5, 2012 1:30 pm

I’m a fan of rare old pickups too. All pickups for that matter but I’m always intrigued by the super rare ones. Interesting that you mentioned a Federal pickup. I’m not familiar with the Style-liner term. However there is a ’39 Federal 3/4 pickup (one of two known to exist) in a collection not far away from where I live. It kind of follows the style of a Diamond T 201 but the grill definitely sets it apart.

marmersays:

December 5, 2012 5:24 pm

There were a handful of postwar Federal pickups. Style-liner was Federal’s (beautiful, in my opinion) early 50’s restyle for medium and heavy trucks. Swing up fenders made maintenance easier. Here’s one:

Hughsays:

May 10, 2015 3:48 am

The Hudson pickups were basically unchanged from 1940 to 1947, They dropped the 1/2 ton after the war. The 3/4 ton Big Boy was built on the Limo/Taxi chassis. I read somewhere that AMC kept some Hudson pickups after 1954 and eventually put AMC V8s in them.

Paul Greniersays:

December 5, 2012 11:21 am

In the garage there are two Nash Truck`s,two of the twenty listed with the Nash Car Club, the Ton &Half is available, this truck has approx 100 MI in the last 28 year`s,since it was done over, see the 2007 DECEMBER ISSEU of DOUBLE CLUTCH TRUCK, page 36, 95/98% of these truck`s were shipped overseas, yes, we still have some these around, but not as many that you may think, if interested please e_mail me and we will talk.

almucksays:

December 5, 2012 12:11 pm

I have a digital photo that I copied off of the internet of the last truck shown. I think I got it off of Wikipedia in their article about the Nash Motor Company. It is orange and it still exists. It is the only color photo I have seen of a Nash pickup.

Since I grew up with pickups & station wagons, those are the vehicles I am most interested in (Studebaker and the other independent brands being preferred over the Big Three), so this article was very interesting for me. Thanks, Dan!

1950's car nutsays:

December 5, 2012 1:36 pm

What an exciting time it must have to be involved in the auto industry. Ideas were encouraged that would lead to such prototypes.Styling was still king. (Still is but nobody will admit it)
I respectfully disagree with Mr. Strohl about the future of the hobby. What is being produced today, both foreign and domestic is boring and will be 50 years from now.
A collectible Toyota Prius? I don’t think so.

Pete Madsensays:

December 5, 2012 1:42 pm

Great article. The regular truck plates on the last pickup shown, the door sign, and the fact that they didn’t wash it before photographing it, are all clues that it ended up being used as a shop pickup. Of course it must have started life as a prototype, and I’ll add my wish that they had decided to produce these pickups in spite of the stiff competition they’d have had.

Gene Hermansays:

December 5, 2012 3:42 pm

Dennis Msays:

December 5, 2012 4:39 pm

As a former AMC field rep (and a certified [or is that certifiable] old car nut) I did not not expect to see a Nash model that I had never seen before! Great work digging this one up.

The lettering indicating Body Division, Milwaukee is interesting. Well into the ’70s (and maybe ’80s) AMC was still building bodies in Milwaukee and trucking full complete and trimmed out bodies from Milwaukee to Kenosha for final assembly.

PeterHsays:

December 11, 2012 7:20 pm

Not surprising the factories started creating their own trucks.I recall reading in the mid 70s about how so many V16 and V12 Luxury cars had been converted into Wreckers during the last years of the depression and the world war 2 years.So much of the Marmon and Caddy production ended theri days as Clampett style A Frame wreckers since they had no value as used cars and the limits of Gas rationing

jim dworschacksays:

December 18, 2012 8:01 pm

Hi, I thought some readers might be interested to know that both Nash pickups pictured in this article exist. The prototype is owned by a member of the Nash Car Club and has been on display at the Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hartford, WI. The ‘production’ model shown in the lower row of pictures is likewise still around, I have owned it since 1986. By 1987 I had the truck completed enough to be on the road. I bring it to Nash shows and once the Historical Truck show in Milwaukee (late ’80’s?) I also have used it these past 25 years to (carefully) haul firewood, pianos, trash to the dump, animals in the back, etc (we live on a farm.) When not in use, the Nash resides under roof with its close cousin, a ’48 Nash dump truck I have from the proving grounds. I don’t use either when salt is on the road (I live in WI.) While the pick up is now an ‘old restoration,’ I plan only to continue to maintain, drive and enjoy this rare machine!

February 19, 2014 9:41 pm

jim dworschacksays:

February 17, 2016 10:27 pm

I was just re-reading the Nash truck article comments and realized I did not reply to your inquiry abut use of Federal Truck cabs. No, I don’t know of other uses for the cab, Nash did adapt their auto sheet metal for truck use.

Nicksays:

August 8, 2014 11:49 am

jim dworschacksays:

August 8, 2014 1:47 pm

The two featured in the article are the only two known to exist. Certainly the possibility exists of the discovery of other ones. I have seen pictures of three other Nash pick ups, but none of those three were factory built; two were made from 4 door sedans and one was made using the ton and half truck cab to fit the car chassis. Not interested to sell mine at this point in time…

JamesDworschacksays:

May 7, 2015 10:20 pm

Nicksays:

August 9, 2014 11:39 pm

Hello,

In 2007 I saw a Nash truck published by the late Marvin Fisher. It was black and it seemed liked a new drive train. It appeared to be like a hot rod. Has anybody seen this one, or this the one your referring to?thanks nick

jim dworschacksays:

August 12, 2014 9:24 pm

Hi, You are correct, Marv Fisher did build a black Nash pick up. I never saw it finished, but he got quite a few of the parts from me, including a ’46 Amb 4 door with which he started as the ‘base,’ bought a ton and half Nash truck cab (which was derived from the car sheet metal) made it mount to the car chassis. I’m not sure what he did for the bed. I know he intended the driveline to be AMC V-8, but don’t know what exactly he did there. He made this in the late 70’s or early 80’s.

jacosays:

September 2, 2014 1:18 am

Hi.there I’m from. South Africa. I am onto a restoration project….a Nash truck wish one it is I am not sure. If I could sent pictures will seone assist me.it looks like a 48 straight six truck no load bed. Still intactlot of rust but if there is will enough it could run again.just would like to know if this truck is better original than a hotrod ratrod…how much of Nash historical value it would be..a email were I could sent my pics please. Thank you

jim dworschacksays:

September 2, 2014 7:51 am

Hi, Yes, I’d be willing to help you identify the truck. I’m not sure about value either way, but for such a rare vehicle I strongly prefer originality. Nash also made ton and one half trucks as well. I have heard that there were the Nash pickups sold and used in South Africa, but have never seen a picture of one. I visited your country on a bicycle back in 1986. My email is jdworschack@gmail.com.

JamesDworschacksays:

March 19, 2015 9:39 pm

Dennis Martinsays:

March 17, 2015 10:13 am

As a former owner of two 1948 Nashes, I notice a couple of the trucks shown have straight I-beam front axles, not what the Nash cars had. Not mentioned in the discussion!(?) Also, I have a question, how did they make a pickup truck based on the floor of a unit-body vehicle?? NO REAL FRAME under those cars!!

JamesDworschacksays:

March 18, 2015 5:21 pm

Hi Dennis,

The pickup with the straight axle is the prototype is believed to be built on a ’36 or ’37 chassis explaining the straight axle. In ’41 Nash came out with the unitized body (frameless) for the ‘600’ series. However, the Ambassador used that same body mounted on a frame through ’48 (does that make it doubly strong?) The production ’48 pick up is made using a convertible chassis (which is a factory beefed up closed car frame. The cab was originally derived from sedan sheet metal, so fitting the ton and one half cab back onto the auto frame was not difficult.

bob arnoldsays:

May 7, 2015 3:09 pm

bob arnoldsays:

May 7, 2015 3:14 pm

Dan Millersays:

May 7, 2015 4:09 pm

I grew up in Kenosha,1945-1965. Our first home was 3 blocks from the Nash foundry.
I remember a Nash pickup that was always parked at the end of the block, behind the Jensen crankshaft grinding shop. As a child I would peer through the shop door and watch the machines spin and grind the journals, sparks were cooled with fluid, fascinating for a little kid.
The pickup was probably a 47-48 with the Ambassador sheet metal, painted a medium blue.
Years later I bought a 48 Ambassador from an old guy for $150 and drove it for several years until half way through my military service years. Sold the old girl and bought an Austin-Healey 100-6. That Nash was one of the best cars I’ve ever owned.

JamesDworschacksays:

May 7, 2015 10:30 pm

Hi Dan,

My pickup had been a medium blue (not originally, but that was the color when I got it.) What era did you see it at the Jensen Shop? I had heard that once the pick up left Nash’s ownership, that it was used by an auto parts store just prior to the owner from whom I bought the Nash. The person I bought it from bought it most likely in the late ’60’s or in ’70 at the latest. So mid ’60’s it is reputed to have been an auto parts store runner. Maybe the same truck?

Dan Millersays:

May 8, 2015 9:44 am

James,
The Jensen shop was located on 61st Street between 22nd and 23 Avenue in Kenosha.
The shop was a small, red brick building adjacent to the alley. The truck was parked in the alley some of the time and also on the street.
The time period was early to mid 50’s as best I can remember although it could have been 60’s.
It is hard for me to place the period because we lived in a 6 unit building half a block north, three different times during the 50’s and 60’s.

PHANTOM HAWKsays:

February 17, 2016 5:25 pm

Heavy Studebaker influence from the cowl back including the box…almost looks like designers from both companies collaborated on the design…over coffee at the kitchen table perhaps[?]…a..k.a the ’49 Ford sedan.

jim dworschacksays:

February 17, 2016 10:38 pm

The common link there was Budd. Nash worked with Budd to develop the first unit bodied Nash that appeared in late 1940 as the ’41 600. I believe Budd was involved with Studebaker during that era too? So while the pieces don’t interchange, it is not terribly surprising that in general, the lines are similar as it could have been the same person or team involved with both Nash and Stude. I think Budd may have even stamped some of the early 600’s body panels.

Terry Spranklesays:

April 30, 2017 11:48 pm

Lipman Motors in Hartford Connecicut had a 1948ish Nash tow truck which I saw whenever my dad took his Nash in for maintenance. I was always fascinated to see it. It had the same nose as our 1948 Nash 400, which I recall fondly. Sturdy cars the Nashs. My Dad had 5 before he had to switch to Fords (son-in-law was a Ford Salesman).

HOWARD LINDLEYsays:

March 8, 2018 11:53 am

jim dworschacksays:

March 8, 2018 12:29 pm

The prototype pick up is coming up for auction March 21st, 2018. While it is in the U.K., I don’t know of any Nash made pickups anywhere in the world besides the prototype and the one I own. There are a few home made pickups from the large chassis Nash cab, one in particular is a high quality custom rod job, but the total roster of known existing Nash made pick ups still sits at two. The website for the auction is http://www.handh.co.uk. Happy bidding! They make it sound easy with about a $3K shipping charge from the U.K.to the U.S.